Jordan Youth Campaign Launch: May 1998
A Mass Media & Community Based RH Program for Jordanian Youth 1999 - 2003

• Background
• Goals
• Objectives
• Audiences
• Communication Objectives
• Next Steps

Background

Today's Youth in Jordan

• Not receiving RH information (STDs / HIV/AIDS)
• Lack of support from policy-makers for providing information, counseling, services - policy-makers/leaders aware of needs but don't have comprehensive and sensible program to consider/support
• Young married couples are not encouraged to discuss FP/RH with spouses - under pressure to have children early in marriage - have limited access to information
• Educators reluctant and have limited skills to discuss RH information currently included in school curricula
• Parents positioned to share RH information, but don't have skills and right kind of information
• Receive conflicting images/information in the media

Goal

• Empower youth with RH, FP, Life-Planning information/skills to make informed decisions

Objectives

Provide youth with information and skills to:

• enhance their active involvement in safeguarding RH;
• promote a healthy dialogue about RH with parents and appropriate adults;
• enhance recognition, understanding and use of FP methods; and
• once married, enhance spousal dialogue about RH and FP

Audiences

• Primary Audience : Youth - Ages 15-24 (20% of population and growing)

  Youth Audience Segmentation: Unmarried Youth vs Young Married Couples

• Secondary Audiences
• Policy-Makers and Leaders
• Parents & Family Members
• Educators
• Health Providers

Communication Objectives

• Unmarried Youth
• strengthen sense of efficacy
• improve knowledge about RH issues and FP methods
• encourage discussion about health and life decisions with families/appropriate adults
• increase positive attitudes: gender issues, son preference, responsible husbands, and domestic violence
• seek pre-marital exams
• Married Youth
• Same as Unmarried Youth Plus
• increase use of FP methods after 1st child
• increase use of preventative RH care
• Policy-Makers & Leaders
• increase public support of policy, program, and interventions that facilitate provision of RH/FP information, counseling, and services to youth and young married couples
• Parents, Family, Educators, Health Providers
• Encourage Parent/Family - Youth communication about RH/FP/LP issues
• Provide Educators and Health Providers with RH/FP information and guidelines for communicating with youth about RH/FP/LP
• Reinforce role as counselor in RH/FP and Life Planning

Next Steps

One of the advantages of this program is its ability to absorb additional topics relevant and crucial to youth social, physical health, such as smoking.

Currently a survey is underway with the overall goal to empower youth with RH, FP and life planning information and skills to enable them to make informed decisions as they prepare for the future. The focus will be on:

• preparing for the world of work
• dealing with reproductive development, feelings and behavior

The survey will ask questions about background, leisure time activities, knowledge of RH/FP, marital status, FP use/method, and other information helpful to policymakers and advisors to a new health program.

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